
^lwNMNP
February 2006
www.aosmd.com
Page 10 of 16
For reliable operation and best performance, the input
capacitors must have current rating higher than I
at worst operating conditions. Ceramic capacitors are
preferred for input capacitors because of their low
ESR and high ripple current rating. Depending on the
application circuits, other low ESR tantalum capacitor
may also be used. When selecting ceramic
capacitors, X5R or X7R type dielectric ceramic
capacitors are preferred for their better temperature
and voltage characteristics. Note that the ripple
current rating from capacitor manufactures are based
on certain amount of life time. Further de-rating may
be necessary for practical design requirement.
Inductor
The inductor is used to supply constant current to
output when it is driven by a switching voltage. For
given input and output voltage, inductance and
switching frequency together decide the inductor
ripple current, which is,
V
I
×
The peak inductor current is:
)
1
IN
O
O
L
V
V
L
f
×
=
2
L
O
Lpeak
I
I
I
+
=
High inductance gives low inductor ripple current but
requires larger size inductor to avoid saturation. Low
ripple current reduces inductor core losses. It also
reduces RMS current through inductor and switches,
which results in less conduction loss. Usually, peak to
peak ripple current on inductor is designed to be 20%
to 30% of output current.
When selecting the inductor, make sure it is able to
handle the peak current without saturation even at the
highest operating temperature.
The inductor takes the highest current in a buck
circuit. The conduction loss on inductor needs to be
checked for thermal and efficiency requirements.
Surface mount inductors in different shape and styles
are available from Coilcraft, Elytone and Murata.
Shielded inductors are small and radiate less EMI
noise. But they cost more than unshielded inductors.
The choice depends on EMI requirement, price and
size.
Table below lists some inductors for typical output
voltage design.
Table 2.
Vout
L1
Shielded, 6.8uH
MSS1278-682MLD
Shielded, 6.8uH
MSS1260-682MLD
Un-shielded, 4.7uH
DO3316P-472MLD
Shielded, 4.7uH
DO1260-472NXD
Shield, 3.3uH
ET553-3R3
Shield, 2.2uH
ET553-2R2
Un-shielded, 3.3uH
DO3316P-222MLD
Shielded, 2.2uH
MSS1260-222NXD
Output Capacitor
The output capacitor is selected based on the DC
output
voltage
rating,
specification and ripple current rating.
The selected output capacitor must have a higher
rated voltage specification than the maximum desired
output voltage including ripple. De-rating needs to be
considered for long term reliability.
Output ripple voltage specification is another
important factor for selecting the output capacitor. In
a buck converter circuit, output ripple voltage is
determined by inductor value, switching frequency,
output capacitor value and ESR. It can be calculated
by the equation below:
Manufacture
Coilcraft
5.0 V
Coilcraft
Coilcraft
Coilcraft
3.3 V
ELYTONE
ELYTONE
Coilcraft
1.8 V
Coilcraft
output
ripple
voltage
)
8
1
(
O
CO
L
O
C
f
ESR
I
V
×
×
+
×
=
where C
is output capacitor value and ESR
is the
Equivalent Series Resistor of output capacitor.
When low ESR ceramic capacitor is used as output
capacitor, the impedance of the capacitor at the
switching frequency dominates. Output ripple is
mainly caused by capacitor value and inductor ripple
current. The output ripple voltage calculation can be
simplified to: